Representative Peter King will chair a hearing Thursday on radicalization within the American Muslim community. Doing so has stirred a nest of leftist hornets. The ACLU, along with several other “civil rights organizations,” have “warned” King to refrain from examining religious beliefs. A number of threats against King have necessitated additional security. And critics are tripping over themselves to craft the most hyperbolic comparisons to Joseph McCarthy.

However, such comparisons have the potential to backfire, at least among those with an accurate perception of history. The Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus took a reasoned stance Wednesday.

Certainly, the best evidence against King is King. His manner is blustering verging on crude. His language has been loose, crossing the border to offensive(…)

At the same time, it is a parody of political correctness to argue that a hearing on domestic terrorism cannot focus solely on the Muslim community to be acceptable.

Peter King now has an opportunity to expose another enemy, different, but no less dangerous to the American way of life. The Unholy Alliance between the Left and radical Islam exists because of their common enemy. Like the communists and Fabian socialists before them, Islamists seek a long slow march through American institutions in order to erode our society from within. Comparing King to McCarthy serves only to highlight the urgency of King’s effort. The failures of McCarty contributed to the rampant spread of a subversive ideology which now dominates a major political party, popular culture, and corridors of power from the state house to the White House. Islamists seek to duplicate that success. Unchecked by those like King, and enabled by their leftist allies, they surely will.